Closure support



April 26, 1949. J SMYTHE 2,468,242

CLOSURE SUPPORT Filed March 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JOS/AS FISH) THE atented Apr. 26 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE SUPPORT Josias F. .Smythe, Portland, Greg. Application March 8, 1946, Serial No. 653,108

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel support for horizontally slidable closures, such as doors, windows and gates.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a support for sliding closures which will eliminate the need for supporting and guiding vrails and rollers and which will simplify the mounting of such closures.

A further object of the invention is to provide .asupport of the above described character which is so constructed and arranged that the normal .thrust of the closure will carry it to a fully opened or closed position as it is moved past a midway or intermediate position.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a supporting structure which will slightly elevate the closure during its movement to or .from a fully opened or fully closed position to thus prevent binding of the bottom edge of the closure with a surface therebeneath.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof, and

wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the closure support applied to a sliding closure and with the closure in a fully closed position;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the closure .in an intermediate or partially opened position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 but showing the closure in a fully opened position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l of a slightly modified form of the closure support; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of another arrangement of the closure support.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like .or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to Figures 1 to 3, 3 designates a substantially upright surface such as a wall of an enclosure which is provided with an entrance opening 1 which is adapted to be closed by a sliding closure or door 8. It is to be understood that the closure '8, herein disclosed as a door, could likewise be a window, gate or any other closure capable of upright sliding movement.

The closure support comprising the invention-J includes a pair of links 9 and I!) which are pivotally connected at ll and I2, respectively, to the surface 6 above the closure 8. Similar links I3 and I4 are pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof at l5 and I6, respectively, to the closure 8. A tie bar I! is provided with corresponding cross-heads I8 and I9 at the ends thereof. As clearly illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the pivot points I I and I2 and the pivot points I5 and I6 are disposed at substantially the same horizontal level and the distances between such pivot points is greater than the length of the cross-heads l8 and J9. Likewise, lengths of the links .9, ID, I3 and M are substantially equal and, further, .said links .are each longer than the cross-heads I8 and I9.

Links 9 and I 0 project upwardly from their pivoted ends and have their free ends pivotally connected to the ends of the cross-head I8 at 20 and 2|, respectively. Links I3 and I l depend downwardly from their pivots I5 and i6 and are pivotally connected at their free ends to the ends .of the cross-head I9 at 22 .and 23.

The parts 9 to 23, inclusive, constitute the link and tie-bar support comprising the invention as disclosed in Figures 1 to 3 and designated generally 24. Where, as in Figures 1 to 3, in order to provide a balanced support two of the link and tie-bar supports 24 are utilized.

As the closure 8 is moved from its fully closed position of Figure l, the thrust which is thereby exerted on the vtie bar I! will cause the link H] to swing clockwise and will cause the link I3 also to swing clockwise. After the pivot points 2| and 22 have crossed their dead center positions in moving the closure to its closed position, the links 9 and I 4 will swing slightly in a counterclockwise direction topermit the clockwise swinging movement of the links Ill and I 3. The clockwise swinging movement of links IE! and 43 will tend to elevate .the tie-rod I! to a limited extent thereby slightly elevating the closure 8. When the closure 8 has reached an intermediate or half opened position the link and tie-rod support 24 will be disposed as shown in Figure 2. As the closure 8 moves past its position in Figure 2 toward its position of Figure 3 the weight of the closure exerts a thrust on the tie-rod and link support which urges the closure to a fully opened position. As the closure 8 is moved beyond its dead center position of Figure ZtoWard its position of Figure '3, the lower end of the tie-rod IT will be swung towards the right WhiCh'WiIl cause a slight clockwise swinging movement of the links 9 and I0 and also a clockwise swinging movement of the links I3.and I4. As the closure 8 approaches its fully opened position of Figure 3,

tie-bar I! will cross the pivot points I2 and I5 and the links-will assumetheir position of Figure 3 as the closure reaches its fully opened position. Further, as the closure moves from its position of Figure 2 to its position of Figure .3 it will be loweredslightly so that in its position of Figure 3 it will be at the same level as when fully closed, The operation of only one of .the links and tie-bar supports 24 has been described but it will .be readily apparent that both of said supports .24 will operate in exactly the same manner. Moving the closure 8 from its open position of Figure 3 to its closed position of Figure l, the operation of the tie-rod and link support 24 is the same as heretofore described in reference to the opening of the closure 8'.

A modified form of the tie-rod support is shown in Figure 4 for use where there is insufficient space above the closure for employing the upper pair of links. In this form of the invention the closure frame is designated 25, the entrance opening 26 and the sliding closure 21. A bracket or hanger 28 is secured to the frame above the level of the closure 21 and is provided with a stud 29 on which the upper end of a modified'tie-rod 30 is pivoted. Two links 3| and 32 are pivoted at 33 and 34, respectively, to the closure 21 on substantially the same horizontal plane. The tierod 3|] at its opposite, lower end is provided with a cross-head 35 the ends of which are pivotally connected at 36 and 31 to the lower, free ends of the links 3! and 32, respectively. As in the form of the invention previously described, two of the tie-bar or rod and link connections, designated generally 38, are provided to support the closure 21.

As the closure 21 is moved to a fully closed position as seen in Figure 4, the tie-bar or rod 30 is swung counterclockwise on its pivot 29 which additionally causes a slight counterclockwise movement of the link 32 to permit the pivot 36 to cross its dead center position after which the links 3| and 32 swing clockwise so that when the bar 30 is perpendicularthe links 3| and 32 will be in the same position as the links |3 and M in Figure 2. In moving beyond this, the dead center position of the closure 21, the bar 30 will continue to swing counterclockwise and across the pivot 33 and as the closure reaches its fully opened position the link 32 will have assumed the position of the link 3| in Figure'4 and the link 3| will be substantially in a perpendicular position.

In Figure 5 another embodiment of the invention for use in mounting a slide enclosure 39, such as a gate, is disclosed. In this view the closure 39 is shown in a fully closed position and the link and tie-bar support, designated generally 40 is substantially identical to that disclosed in Figure 4 except that it is inverted. The lower end of the tie-bar 4| of the support 40 is pivoted at 42 to a post 43. Two links 44 and 45 are piv- .oted at 46 and 41, respectively, to the closure 39 :and extend upwardly therefrom. The tie-bar 4| ilikewise extends upwardly and is provided at its 'upper end with a cross-head 48 to which the ends of the links 44 and 45 are pivotally connected at 49 and 50, respectively. As only a single support 40 is provided-in this form of the invention, a pair ,ofrollers 5| maybe mounted on another gate post 43 for engaging above and beneath a rail'of the closure 39 for guiding it in its, opening and closing movement.

3 closed, the links are located between the closures or frames and the tie-bar cross-head.

Various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as'hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a support for sliding closures, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a closure, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof .-.to a frame of said closure, and a tie-bar having cross-heads at each end thereof, the free ends of one of said pair of links being connected to the ends of one of said cross-heads and the free ends of the other pair of links being pivotally connected to the free ends of the other of said cross-heads for supporting the closure for sliding movement relative to the frame. 2. In a support for sliding closures, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a closure, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a frame of said closure, and a tie-bar having cross-heads at each end thereof, the free ends of one of said pair of links being connected to the ends of one of said cross-heads and the free ends of the other pair of links being pivotally connected to the free ends of the other of said cross-heads for supporting the closure for sliding movement relative to the frame, the ends of said links which are pivotally connected to the cross-heads being more adjacent than the ends thereof which are pivoted to the closure and frame.

3. In a support for sliding closures, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a closure, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a frame of said closure, and a tie-bar having cross-heads at each end thereof, the free ends of one of said pair of links being connected to the ends of one of said cross-heads and the free ends of the other pair of links being pivotally connected to the free ends of the other of said cross-heads for supporting the closure for sliding movement relative to the frame, said links each being of a greater length than the cross-head.

4. In a support for sliding closures, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends 'thereof to a closure, a pair of links pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to a frame of said closure, and a tie-bar having cross-heads at each end thereof, the free ends of one of said pair of links being connected to the ends of one of said cross-heads and the free ends of the other pair of links being pivotally connected to the free ends of the other of said cross-heads for supporting the closure for sliding movement rela tive to the frame, the first-mentioned pivot points of each of said pairs of links being spaced a greater distance apart than the length of the cross-head, and the links connected to the frame, being disposed above the level of the links connected-to the closure, and the ends of the pairs of links connected to said crossheads constituting "the remote ends of said links.

JOSIAS F. SMYTHE;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the [file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ,ltlumber Name Date 476,068 Prouty et al. May 31, 1892 1,386,119 'Kjolseth Aug. 2,1921 

